Too many old folders and email addresses in your iPhone’s email program? Find out here how to delete an email account from iPhone Mail (Gmail, Outlook.com, IMAP, Yahoo, iCloud Mail, etc.).
First, the Floor Gives Way
The floor disappears before and underneath your eyes as you get a good view of solid tracks in mid-air.
On these tracks, you will roll up and down and sideways… and upside down as well perhaps.
Since 1999, removing the floor from roller coaster wagons has supplied a particular thrill; today, you can remove an email account from your iPhone for a good view of… mid-air:
How to Delete an Email Account from iPhone Mail
Time needed: 3 minutes
To remove an email account from your iPhone Mail app:
- Open the Settings app.
- Open the Mail category.
- Select Accounts.
- Now tap the account you want to delete from your iPhone.
- Tap Delete Account at the bottom.
iCloud Mail: You cannot delete an iCloud account from iPhone (other than signing out of it altogether); you can disable the email part, however; see below.
Disabling instead of deleting: You can also disable other email accounts, of course—and keep synchronization enabled for Contacts or the calendar, for example; see below. - Tap Delete Account again to confirm the account deletion.
How to Disable an Email Account in iPhone Mail
To disable email for any account—IMAP, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, iCloud, etc.—set up on your iPhone without hampering other account functions:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Go to Mail.
- Open Accounts.
- Now tap the account you want to remove from iPhone Mail.
- Disable the account depending on its type:
For a Gmail, Exchange, or Yahoo Mail account: Disable Mail.
For an IMAP account: Disable Account.
For an iCloud Mail account: Tap iCloud and disable iCloud Mail.
How to Delete an Email Account from iPhone Mail: FAQ
Will removing the account also delete emails in it?
When you disable or remove an email account in iPhone Mail, copies of emails kept on the phone will be deleted.
- Emails on the server remain unaffected, of course.
You can set up or enable the account again in iPhone Mail to access the messages again.
Can I delete the Mail app from iPhone?
Yes.
You can delete the default Apple Mail app from your iPhone. This does not automatically remove the configuration information for email accounts, though.
(How to delete an email account from iPhone Mail tested with iOS 15–17; updated April 2024)